


Death's Only Daughter

by orphan_account



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Nico leaves camp instead of staying at the end of book five, This may have to be rewritten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-05 01:09:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4159905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A year & a half after leaving, Nico reappears at Camp Half-Blood. Then, a hellhound comes, holding 15 year old Leyla in its mouth. Leyla hasn't been claimed, but when that happens, everyone is shocked, scared, and the only one there to comfort her is Nico. But what happens to their strong friendship when a letter appears under Leyla's pillow that causes her to mysteriously leave?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The New Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. This is a short five chapter story. I hope you like it. I may rewrite it, but I may leave it as is. I don't know. Anyways, read on.

Nico di Angelo was walking along the shore of Long Island Sound. He had returned to Camp Half-Blood a few months ago, after disappearing for almost 1 and a half years. He was 16 now. He was a trained demigod. A lonely, trained demigod. People still feared him and treated badly since he was a son of Hades. But he was learning to accept it, even though he still hated that people acted the way they did around him. He was jerked out of his thoughts when he heard screams.

* * *

He ran for the entrance to Camp Half-Blood where people were gathered, trying to fight off a hellhound bigger that Mrs. O'Leary. He was wondering why they wouldn't just let the barrier around the camp keep out the beast. Then he spotted something in the hellhound's mouth. Held tightly, but not tight enough as to hurt or kill the person, was a teenage girl with pale skin and dark black hair. He unsheathed his blade and ran toward the giant hellhound. Nico jumped up and kicked the creature in the jaw as its head was lowered. The hellhound dropped the girl. It whipped around to face Nico. The hellhound growled and Nico started fighting it. The teenage girl began to stir. She sat up, holding her head, trying to deal with a massive headache. After many minutes of fighting, the hellhound knocked Nico into a tree, knocking him out. He was about to be turned into dog food, when suddenly the teenage girl stood up. She grabbed Nico's stygian iron sword and stabbed the hellhound in the ribs when it wasn't looking. It disentigrated, leaving nothing but a large pile of black dust. The girl collapsed, breathing heavily. Everyone was shocked, even Chiron, who had galloped to the entrance just in time to see it happen.

* * *

Later that day, Nico woke up in the infirmiry. "Dude, you feel ok?" Nico saw Will Solace, a son of Apollo standing over him. "Yeah... what happened?" Nico asked as he sat up, wincing at the pain. "The last thing I remember is being catapulted into a tree by giant hellhound." Will sat down in a chair and explained to Nico what happened after he passed out. Nico was shocked that the girl had killed the hellhound, despite, as far as he knew, not being trained and having previously been passed out on the ground. "So, who is she?" Nico asked. "I heard her name is Leyla Dalton. She's fifteen and she doesn't know who her godly parent is." Will answered. "I thought the gods were suppose to claim their children by the age of thirteen." Nico said, a bit confused. "They are,but for some reason, she hasn't been claimed. She's in the Big House talking with Chiron and Mr. D." Will said. "Ok, bye." Nico said, getting up. "See ya," Will replied as Nico left.

* * *

He headed to his cabin, walking past the Big House. As hed did, Leyla came walking out, Chiron and Dionysus behind her. they said something to her and she nodded. Leyla turned, heading towards the Hermes cabin, but changed direction when she saw Nico. She ran up to him and asked, "Hey, you're the guy that tried to save me from the giant hellhound, right? I'm Leyla. Your name is Nico, right?" Nico smiled a bit and nodded. Nico noticed that her eyes were each a different color. The left one was green but the right one was blue. Her black hair fell down her back and down the front of her shoulders down to her waist and was so dark, it was like staring into a void. Leyla caught him staring at her hair. "Whatcha lookin' at?" she asked him. "Uh, nothing. Anyways, thanks, you actually saved me. If you hadn't killed the hellhound with my sword, I would've been dog food." he answered. "If you hadn't stepped in _I_ would've been dog food. So, thanks." Leyla replied. "Anyways, I gotta get to the Hermes cabin. It's where i'm gonna be crashin' 'til I find out who my godly parent is. Who's your godly parent?" Nico got nervous. "Um, it's Hades. Ya know, the God of the Dead and King of the Underworld." Leyla stared at him, then smiled. "That's amazing. Your father is a king! That's too cool." Leyla said, making Nico feel much better. "Well, gotta go. See ya later Nico." Leyla walked to the Hermes cabin and Nico walked to the Hades cabin.

* * *

About two months later, everyone was gathered around the campfire, singing camp songs and eating dinner. Everything was normal until the fire turned black and the fiery image of Hades appeared.


	2. Leyla's Past

Everyone but Leyla shot Nico a glare, but Nico just rolled his eyes. "Where is the girl who was brought here by the hellhound? Where is _Leyla Dalton_?" That name hit everyone like a ton of bricks. Leyla stood up. "Lord Hades." she said. Leyla bowed once she had his attenttion, as she was taught to do by Chiron. "I am Leyla Dalton." Hades grinned evily like always. "Leyla, I have a message for you. You are the only child of Thanatos, God of Death and Guardian of the Doors of Death. He asked me to tell you that he is your father and that he sent the hellhound to retrieve you and bring you to Camp Half-Blood. He would've sent a sign, but you're his first child in over 200 years, so he knew no one would recognize it." With that, Hades disappeared. Everyone but Nico backed away from Leyla. She saw what was happening. Since her father was a god having to do with death or the Underworld, they were afraid of her just like they were afraid of Nico. "No. No, no, no, no!" Leyla ran and started crying.

* * *

She ran to a tall tree in the forest next to camp, and climbed it. She stayed there for about an hour until Nico found her. "What do you want, Nico?" she asked, still feeling upset. She looked down and noticed that Nico was only a couple of feet away. "Chiron sent some campers to look for you. I volunteered since I could tell exactly where you went." Nico answered. "They're afraid, aren't they? Just because I am the daughter of Thanatos, everyone looks at me differently. Just like..." Leyla sighed as her voice trailed off. "Just like what?" Nico asked. Leyla fliched, she hadn't noticed that Nico was now sitting on a branch next to her, only a few inches higher. Leyla relaxed again and answered, "Back at home, back at school, people treated me differently. They acted almost like they didn't think I was human. Everyone at school called me a nerd or a geek, sometimes they even called me a freak. Nobody besides my mom ever really acted like they cared. And then that hellhound came. It knocked me out, and carried me away. Camp Half-Blood is all that I have now. It's my only home." Nico understood Leyla, because he didn't really have any other home besides Camp Half-Blood either. "What about your mom?" Nico asked, but as soon as he saw Leyla's expression, he wished he hadn't. "She, um,...died..in a fire. I was only eleven. A terrible storm was bringing everything down outside; branches, trees, phone lines, all falling. Lightning hit our house. She didn't make it out. I was living with my aunt when the hellhound came to get me." Leyla sighed again, her eyes tearing up. She blinked away the tears. Nico tried to change the subject, and before he knew it, he was telling her all about his past. Leyla also shared more of her past as well. But she began crying. Before either of them knew it, Nico had sat down on Leyla's branch and had his arm around her shoulders, comforting her. "We should, um, get back to camp." Leyla said. "Yeah, ok." Nico replied. They decended the tree and walked back to the camp in silence. Once she got back to camp, Leyla refused to answer questions and insisted that she gather her stuff and go to the empty, and thought to be unneeded, Thanatos cabin. Upon arriving at the cabin, she put her clothes in the dresser and did some other things.

* * *

A few days later, after she had slipped into her pajamas, Leyla heard a knock on her door. She walked to the door and opened it. There stood Chiron. Before he could speak, Leyla said, "Look, I told you I didn't want to talk to you about it." Then she noticed Nico standing next to him. "It is not I who wishes to speak with you. Nico would like permission to speak with you alone." Chiron said. "Um, ok. I'm ok with that." Leyla replied. "Well then, I shall be off. And remember it's lights out at 10:00." At that, Chiron cantered off. "So what do you want to talk about?" Leyla asked as she and Nico sat down on her bed. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened the other day. About when you kinda broke down and I..." Nico trailed off and Leyla began to blush. "Yeah, that, um, hasn't ever happened to me, ya know, crying on someone else's shoulder that doesn't know me too well. I'd be right to assume the same about you, correct?" replied Leyla. "Correct. In fact, I've never met a girl, or anyone for that matter, that was as nice or as open to me that I wasn't related to." Leyla smiled. They continued speaking about their past until they heard the call for lights out. "Bye Leyla, I'll see you at breakfast." Nico headed towards the door, Leyla behind him. As he reached for the door knob Leyla said, "Nico, wait." Nico turned around. "What?" he asked. Leyla played with her hair for a second, then said, "Nevermind, it's nothing. I just... Good-night Nico." Leyla replied. Nico didn't know why, but he walked up to Leyla and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled and hugged him back. After Nico left, Leyla walked over to a black scabbard in the corner of the room. In it was a gift from her father, Thanatos. It was a 3-foot-long stygian iron sword, with a silver hilt, a small black diamond set in the pommel, and a strip of imperial gold down the middle that took up the last quarter-inch of the sword at the tip. The imperial gold had been colored silver with a bit of magic in order to match the hilt. It was a beautiful and deadly weapon that Leyla absolutely loved. She put the scabbard back in the corner, then went to bed. She thought about one thing she and Nico had discussed. Since they had become such close friends, they made a pact to always help each other with their problems and to always be honest to one another. She smiled, and with that, drifted off to sleep. She, unlike most nights, had a dream.


	3. Messages

Leyla's father, Thanatos, floated in front of the Doors of Death. Hades walked up to him and said, "I was told that you wished to speak with me." Thanatos floated to the ground, then took a small bow. "Yes, Lord Hades." he replied. "It is about my daughter, Leyla." Hades raised an eyebrow. "What about her?" he asked. "Well, with your, and Zeus's, consent I would like to-" Here, he stopped and whispered the rest into Hades's ear. Hades seemed surprised. "Are you sure? I'm not sure Zeus would consent to something like that, but aside from that, she may not agree." Thanatos nodded. "I am sure. But I won't tell her about it until I have your and Zeus's consent." the god replied. "Well, you have my consent. I'll check with my brother. If he agrees, I'll give you word of it, and you can pass the news on to her." Thanatos bowed again. "Thank-you, Lord Hades." Hades disappeared, and so did the dream.

* * *

Leyla woke up to the sound of her alarm clock. She got up, got dressed, and headed for breakfast. Afterwards, they played various games. During a game of Capture the Flag, Leyla was in enemy territory, looking for the flag, when she saw Nico. He was on the opposing team, so he was either protecting the flag, or just standing around. She looked closely, and saw the reflection of a red flag in the stream next to Nico. She snuck around him, and sprinted towards the flag. But a camper jumped out of the trees and blocked her path. She wore a red helmet. They began fighting, the sound of clashing swords ringing throughout the surrounding area. Leyla made her way around the girl, tripped her, and went to grab the flag. She saw something and looked up. She raised her sword just in time to block the strike of a black sword. It's wielder, none other than Nico di Angelo. "Nice try, but your team isn't winning this time." he said to her. "Oh yeah?" Leyla arched an eyebrow. "We'll just see about that." Their fight lasted much longer, as they seemed to be equally matched. Most of the campers were there watching by now. Leyla and Nico's swords were locked at the hilt. She stopped pushing, purposely giving Nico the upper hand to push her back, then she put in all the force she could, and pushed him back. Nico fell on the ground, witch was all Leyla needed. But instead of putting the tip of her sword to his neck, she turned and walked to the flag. Nico got up and charged at her, sword raised. But as he was only inches away, she turned and placed the tip of her sword to his neck, and smiled kindly. "Sorry, but I gotta win sometimes, don't I?" She grabbed the flag and raised it in the air. Her team cheered, and one girl sang, "Nico got beaten by a girl!" over and over. Nico glared at the girl who sang. "Shut it, Taylor." he said to the brown-haired daughter of Athena.

* * *

Later, after lunch, Leyla went to her cabin to relax. On her way, she heard a voice say, "You just had to make me look bad, didn't you Leyla?" She turned to see Nico. She shrugged and replied, "Hey, I won fair and square. I can't help it if I beat you in one-on-one swordplay. Anyways, I'm going to my cabin to relax. See ya." Leyla walked inside her cabin, and locked the door behind her. She sighed and flopped down on her bed. Her hand went up under her pillow, as she rested her head on it. She felt something. She sat up, ripped the pillow from where it lay on her bed, and saw an envelope. It had a golden wax seal with an omega symbol. She broke the seal and opened the envelope. She read the letter inside the envelope, then read it again. And again. And again. She couldn't believe it. "How could this be posssible?" Leyla wondered aloud. She jumped up and down, thrilled. But then she stopped. "I can't. Not if it means leaving him." she thought.

* * *

The next day, she awoke early and walked down to the lake. She fished a drachma out of her pocket and threw it in. "O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, please, show me Thanatos." She sat on the bench behind her as the water rippled. An image began to appear. "Father. Father, it's me, Leyla." she said as the image appeared in the water. "Hello Leyla, did you get my messege?" Thanatos asked. Leyla nodded. "Yes father, I got it. I'll need you to send a hellhound. Tomorrow at noon." Thanatos smiled. "Ok, I shall. I will see you tomorrow. Good-bye Leyla." Leyla waved. "Bye!" She picked up a rock and threw it into the lake, the image dissolving on impact. She rose from her seat and went to her cabin to prepare. But as she walked to her cabin a tear rolled down her cheek. "I wonder if I should tell him." she thought. She decided not to.

* * *

The next day, everyone was playing Capture the Flag, and Leyla snuck away. It was almost noon. She reached her cabin, grabbed her stuff, and headed to the entrance of Camp Half-Blood. As she snuck through the woods, Nico spotted her. Leyla spotted the hellhound from a few yards away. "Leyla, what are you doing?" Nico called after Leyla. Leyla turned around and saw Nico many yards behind her. She ran to the hellhound as quickly as she could, Nico at her heels. She climed onto the hellhound and leaned forward. She whispered something in its ear and it stood up, turned away from the entrance, and took off. It disappeared into the shadows. Nico found Chiron and told him what happened. "Hmm," Chiron said, stroking his beard. "Where could she have gone?" Nico stood up. "I'll go search her cabin for clues." he declared. He walked out of the Big House.

* * *

When he opened the door he noticed one thing about the cabin: There was an open envelope on the bed. There were remenants of a golden wax seal on the envelope. He picked up the envelope and pulled out a letter. He read it.

Dear Leyla,

I know you are happy at Camp Half-Blood, but, with your consent as well as Zues's and Hades's consent, I would like to make you a goddess and have you work in the Underworld alongside me. I have the consent of Lord Hades and Lord Zeus, but I need your consent. It is your decision though, and I would understand if you chose to stay a mortal and stay at Camp Half-Blood. Send me an Iris Messege when you have decided. Take as much time as you need to think.

Your Father,

Thanatos

Nico read the letter again. And again. "What?!" he exclaimed. He ran to the Big House. "Chiron!" he said, opening the door. He handed the letter to the centaur. He read it over several times, making sure he was reading it correctly. "She went to the underworld to become a goddess and work alongside her father, Thanatos?" Chiron wondered aloud. Nico nodded. "Nico, got back to whatever you were doing. If the campers ask, say she's on a quest. And don't go running off looking for her." Chiron ordered. Nico raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean _don't go running off looking for her_?" Nico asked, a bit offended by what he seemed to be implying. "I mean don't leave camp to find Leyla." Chiron said sternly. "I don't like what you're implying." Nico replied. He walked out of the Big House and headed to his cabin.

* * *

Nico was shocked to find an envelope on the doorstep. He picked it up and turned it over. It said:

TO: NICO A.

FROM: LEYLA D.

** FOR NICO'S EYES ONLY! **

He went inside, flopped down on his bed, and opened the envelope. The letter inside read:

Dear Nico,

I've tried writing this letter quite a few times before finding the right words. I'm sorry I left without a good-bye, but it would've hurt too much. Because I have nothing left for me on Earth but camp, I decided to accept my father's offer. I hope you can forgive me for leaving like this. I'll miss you, no doubt. You were my best and only true friend. I'll try and visit camp when I can find some time.

Your Friend,

Leyla Dalton

Nico saw something at the bottom of the letter. It looked like water. It was a tear, but Nico wasn't crying. "She probably cried when she wrote this." he said sadly. Then his heart froze like it had when he found out Bianca was dead. "Like I care!" he said angrily, balling up the paper and throwing it in trash can. A tear ran down his face. There was one thing he couldn't let go of. Leyla left because he didn't tell her what he should've;he never told her that he liked her. Now she was gone. Forever.

* * *

Over the next two weeks, the campers noticed that Nico seemed less happy since Leyla had left. After another week, campers went about bugging Chiron that Leyla still hadn't returned, so he decided to tell them the truth. A month after having disappeared, everyone was sitting at their tables at the dining pavillion. They began to leave, heading to the campfire. They all sat on logs, tree stumps, large rocks, lounge chairs, and even the ground. Nico stood leaning against a tree. This would be his last night here since he planned to leave in about an hour, right before 10:00. Then he noticed everyone become silent. He looked up from the ground to see that the fire was now a gray-ish black.


	4. I Love You

The dark gray smoke drifted over to a spot on the ground a few feet from the fire. It became what looked like the outline of a person with wings. The campers backed away as the smoke began to solidify. Now, standing where the smokey figure had been, was a pale girl, around 15 or 16 years of age, with dark black hair in a wide pony-tail, and mis-matched eyes. She wore a strapless black gown that almost hit the ground in the back, and stopped half-way below her knees in the front so that her black boots were visible. She wore a silver circlet with black jewels on her head, and a black cord with a silver skull charm around her neck. Her black wings were closed behind her, and she also radiated power like a god or goddess. "H-hello again everyone." she said nervously. "Who are you?" asked a camper. "I am Leyla, Goddess of Funerals, Finder of Lost Souls, and Guider of the Dead to the Underworld." she answered. A look of shock crossed Leyla's face as all the campers bowed to her. Chiron cantered forward. "L-leyla? As in Leyla Dalton?" he asked. She nodded. "Good to see you again Chiron. But, um, where's Nico?" she answered. "He might have left alre-" he stopped as Nico stepped forward. "There you are. Um, I have a message for you from your father. May I speak with you alone?" Nico nodded and motioned for Leyla to follow him.

* * *

They made it to his cabin and he opened the door. "So," he said as they sat down, "what is the message? And make it quick, I have to leave." Leyla gulped. She was nervous no doubt, but it had to be done. "Nico, I lied. I just needed an excuse to speak with you. I need to tell you something. I-" she stopped. Her eyes had drifted across the room. "W-what's with the suitcase? Where are you going?" Leyla asked. Nico shrugged. "I'm leaving. I don't have anything left here, so I'm gonna go." Leyla sighed. "Nico, please, don't go. I-" Nico shook his head. "Forget it, I'm leaving. So if there's no message, then good-bye." he interrupted. He got up, grabbed his suitcase, and walked out the door. "Wait!" said Leyla as she ran after him. She kept trying to talk, but Nico kept cutting her off, not wanting to hear it. But Leyla finally snapped. "Damn it, di Angelo! Can't you just listen long enough for me to tell you that I love you?!" she yelled at him, just loud enough for the other campers to hear. Nico stopped in his tracks, and a collective gasp came from the campers. Nico turned around. He thought Leyla was still a few feet behind him, but when he turned he saw that her face was inches from his. Leyla didn't waste time. She leaned in and kissed Nico, her, now open, left wing blocking them from the campers' view. Nico returned the kiss. They pulled away after a few seconds. Leyla lowered her wing, and closed it behind her. "I love you too, Leyla." Leyla's smile widened. Then she turned to the crowd, crossing her arms. They were all murmuring back and forth. "Ahem," Leyla cleared her throat, getting the campers' full attention. "Don't you all have something better to do?" she asked the crowd. The crowd dispersed, all except for Chiron. He canterd forward. "Nico, it's lights out. Go to your cabin. I must speak with Leyla alone anyways." he said, a bit sternly. Nico looked at Leyla, who nodded, and motioned with her head slightly for him to go to his cabin. He walked away, leaving the goddess and the centaur alone. "Apparently that was quite the spectacle. You kept the attention of every camper for over a minute." Chiron stated. "Be that as it may, it wasn't suppose to attract their attention. I was here on my own mission, and I have finished it. Now all that's left is to find a way to break the news to my father about leaving." Leyla replied. "Leaving? You mean leaving the Underworld and your life as a goddess? Why?" Chiron asked. Leyla looked at Nico's cabin and smiled. "Because... I can't leave Nico. I love him." she turned back to Chiron. "And if the only way I can truly be here with him without having to leave all the time to do my _job,_ means giving up being a goddess, then I'm ok with that. But I have to go now. I have to find a way to tell my father, and it won't be easy." With that, Leyla disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

The next day at lunch, Nico sat at the Hades table in the dining pavillion. By now, every camper had congradulated Nico on getting kissed by a goddess. Or any girl at all, for that matter. But he was a bit upset she wasn't here. He hid well though, because the kiss had left him overjoyed. He heard the talking stop, and someone sat in front of him at his table. "Hey Nico, how's it going?" asked a girl casually. Nico looked up to see Leyla. "Leyla? But, I thought you were a goddess." Nico said, stunned. "I _was_ a goddess, but I'm not anymore. I gave it up to be here." She reached halfway across the table and held Nico's hand. "To be with you." Nico was still shocked. "You gave up being a goddess to be here with me?" Leyla nodded. They continued talking, and Leyla said she wasn't completely powerless, and that her father had granted her some abilities. "So, I can shadow-travel, I can fly, and I can bring things back from the dead. But only small things, like bugs, small mammals, and small fish. Nothing like a human. That could kill me." Leyla explained. "That's amazing. But if you don't have your wings, then how can you fly?" Nico asked. Leyla's wings appaered, then quickly disappeared. "That's how. I can make them appear, and disappear." They talked, they laughed, and they enjoyed the rest of their day, Leyla sometimes demonstrating her abilities. And later that evening, they stood on the beach, and shared a kiss before going to their cabins.


	5. Epilogue

"So what happened next mama?" asked a little girl. "Well," her mother replied, "they lived happily ever after. And, eventually, they settled down and had two children. A little girl," the woman said, hugging her 5-year-old daughter close, "and-" she was interrupted. "And a little boy." said a man as he walked into the room, scooping the 5-year-old boy up, causing him to laugh. "Daddy, shhh. Mama's tellin' my brother and me a story." the little girl said. She turned back to her mother. "So, what happened next?" The mother smiled sweetly. "Sorry sweatheart, but it's past your bedtime." The little girl whined. "Awww." The man and woman carried their children to their room. They tucked them in and turned out the lights. "Mama?" asked the little girl. "Yes?" the mother replied. "Can you tell us another story tomorrow? Please?" The mother giggled. "Of course, sweety. Now go to bed." She closed the door, and walked with her husband to their room.

_**Το τέλος! Για τώρα ...** _

Translation: **_The End! For Now..._**


End file.
